For Me
by The Official Book Lover
Summary: Natsu Dragneel isn't what you'd call a normal kid. He's weird, he's goofy, and he doesn't know when to stop. He was never the suicidal type. But when something happens that shakes his world and leaves him shocked and depressed, he decides he can't take it anymore. He decides to jump.
1. Prologue

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. Otherwise Natsu and Lucy would already be together and Jellal and Erza would be married :P You don't see that happening.**

* * *

I look at the world behind me, the steep drop, the cliffs, the little stream that will keep moving when I die. The world will keep moving when I die. The sun won't stop shining, the Earth won't stop spinning on its axis, people won't care. They won't blink once when it was announced in school. "Natsu Dragneel suicided yesterday."

No one would be surprised.

No one would care.

Not after what I did.

I face forward and close my eyes, one face smiling at me behind my eyelids.

The one that had told me to go die while tears streamed down her beautiful face.

I teeter on the edge of life and death, watching her as she caught me staring at her in class, watching her as she fought with her boyfriend, watching her as I slowly slip off the edge of the cliff. My pink hair snaps in the wind as my end rushes towards me or I rush towards it. It doesn't matter anymore, does it? I smile at the trivial thought.

A real smile. It's been a long time.

Time slows down melodramatically and I think of all the good things that have happened in the past few months.

I am fulfilling her wish. It's all that matters. My life doesn't matter if she wishes it away. Nothing matters except her.

_This is for you. I love you. _

_Lucy._

And then my body hits the ground.

* * *

Cliffhangerrrrrr

Sorry….anyway, please please please leave a review? You know you can leave a review even if you don't have an account…..I didn't figure that out for a while XD anyways, have a nice day and I hope this got you hooked :P :)


	2. The Prank War

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚Oh and after note. I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for _entertainment purposes_ ONLY. I'll try to post the next chapter soon but don't be surprised if I don't since I'm going on vaca that day…I _will_ post in September if I don't post really soon ˆˇˆ I hope you like it! It's a little short but the next few shall be longer...I hope ^-^**

* * *

**10 months before**

"I can't believe your actually going to help me do this," I mutter, shaking my head and grinning as I hand the refilled soda can to Levy. She beams back.

"There's nothing better then pranking your best friend…especially after seeing her in 3 months!" Levy giggles. "You know…you two would make a good couple!"

I turn red and scowl at her. "I hate Lucy and that's why I'm doing this. Get your facts right, Mrs. Redfox!"

It's Levy's turn to turn red. She gives me a hateful glare and I laugh. "When are you going to ask him out?" I joke, poking her in the ribs. She slaps my hand away.

"The guy's supposed to ask the girl out, flame-brain!"

My eyes widen. "What did you just call me!?"

"Flame-brain!_ Fl-ame-br-ain!_" she recited at me and spoke in a baby voice as if I was a little child.

"NOOGIE TIME!" I yell as I grab her around the neck and noogie her. She squeals.

"That's it, Dragneel! I've had it! I'm not doing this!" she yells playfully.

I stick my bottom lip and wobble it at her and she laughs. "Okay, fine. Now or never, right?"

I nod. It's strange that I can be such good friends with my worst enemy's best friend but I guess it just worked out like that. Plus Levy and I _were_ friends until Lucy moved here two years ago and came barging in on our friendship. I mean, sure, she needed a friend, but to just pull away one of mine was one of the reasons I hate her.

She likes everyone in my group _except for me_. I don't understand it. I didn't even do anything. I had actually had a little crush on her until she showed her true colors and walked away from us, taking Levy along with her.

It broke Gajeel's heart though he tried not to show it. It would've been funny seeing Gajeel showing any emotion other then indifference and anger had it not been so sad. Luckily though, they still talk regularly.

"Let's hope she doesn't hate me," Levy mutters.

_Let's hope she does, _I think and immediately regret it. Levy would probably lock herself in her room for a few days if Lucy hated her.

"She won't. Your her best friend. She'll have to forgive you eventually," I reason.

"Eventually," sighs Levy.

"Wow, Debby Downer, you haven't even given her the 'soda' yet."

Levy shoves my playfully and I feint hurt by placing my hand over my heart and the back of my other hand on my head. Levy smirks and inhales, then walks up to Lucy.

"Hey Lu-chan!"

"Oh, hey Levy-chan!" Lucy smiles, hugging Levy. Levy winks at me from behind Lucy's shoulder and I grin.

"I went to the convenience store today and bought this for you since I know it's your favorite kind. "

"Oh, thanks!" Lucy beams at her and opens it, staring at it suspiciously when it doesn't hiss. _She's too trusting_, I think gleefully as she places it on her lips and tilts her head back. Lucy begins to splutter as a liquid completely different from soda hits her mouth. She spits it the contents of it into her open locker, red paint splattering onto her backpack.

Everyone stares at Lucy in bemusement as they exchange their puzzled glances and then I start to laugh. Lucy's horrified gaze lands on me and it's too much. The expression on her face is priceless, red paint dripping from her mouth. She doesn't bother to wipe it away.

Levy joins in and walks over to me, we high-five and then we both start rolling on the ground as Lucy's expression turns from horror to anger, confusion, and pure hatred, making her face contort into a face so weird, tears are streaming down my face.

"I...got you…good…Hearfilia!" I hiccup between laughs.

Lucy stalks over and grabs my shirt, pulling me onto my feet. I stop laughing only to start all over again, my stomach hurting. I haven't laughed like this in years.

She leans in and our noses brush, her intense eyes boring into mine and I stop laughing for real. "This is war, Dragneel!" She shoves the soda can into my hands, the red paint sloping over the edges and onto my shirt.

I grin. "I'm looking forward to it."

She glares at me and stalks off.

Levy's roars of laughter soften down to snickers until she's finally done. "Ohh, I am going to love this war, aren't I?"

I look sideways at her. "Um…just how bad is this going to be?"

She pats my arm. "I'll be surprised if you're alive by the end of the year."

She grins and I groan, holding my head in my arms.

Someone grabs my ear, making my stand up. "Ow, ow, ow, stop it Erza—" I stop talking when I see the expression on her face.

I'll be surprised if I'm alive by the end of the hour.

* * *

I groan and drag myself to lunch, tired from math, long, boring math. Sure, Lisanna-sensei might be pretty but that lady could drone on and on…!

The loud cafeteria gets closer and closer and I push open the door.

That's my mistake.

Ice cold water in a metal bucket falls on top of me, soaking me to the bone as I yell loudly. It feels like I'm on fire because of how cold the water is. It feels like the water is acid, burning through my skin. Thank Mavis for my unnatural body heat making the water some degrees warmer. I pull the bucket off and on the side of the bucket, in blue spray paint are the words "_Enjoy your bath? ~Lucy"_

I growl and throw the bucket down, ignoring the water and the people in the cafeteria who are laughing. "Lucy…I _will _get you for this!"

I march to my assigned lunch table, not bothering to buy lunch. I plop down and the cold water sprays onto Gray.

"Hey! Watch it!" he mutters.

I huff and ignore him. Gajeel laughs at me. "Someone seems like they just got splashed extra cold water."

"Shut up, Gajeel."

"So…about this prank war everyone's talking about…would you mind if I join Lucy?"

My eyes widen and I shove him. "Hey!" he yells and shoves me back. Soon, we have a full fledged wrestling match going on on the ground. And somehow, Gajeel's managed to worm his way into the fight.

"Natsu Dragneel!"

We all stop scuffling on the ground and freeze. We know that voice all too well.

"What do you think you're doing!? Do I have to remind you not to misbehave again!?"

"No Erza," we all recite. We scramble back to our seats as I try not to remember the pummeling I had received from Erza earlier for pranking Lucy. Her boyfriend, Jellal, silently laughs and I glare daggers at him. He kisses Erza on the cheek and sits in between me and Gajeel. She walks off to sit with the table she was assigned to.

"How can you have a girlfriend as scary as her?" Gajeel asks gruffly.

Gray smirks. "Wow, Gajeel's scared of something. And it happens to be a girl!"

"Shut up, Gray!" he yells.

Jellal grins. "She has her perks. Seeing Natsu get beat up by a girl is one of them."

My three best friends roar with laughter and I turn red and scowl. Jellal turns to me. "Why are your clothes wet?"

Gray fills him in on the story and Jellal starts to chuckle. "What?" I ask impatiently.

"Another girl…torments you," he laughs.

Gray and Gajeel start laughing again and I blink. That wasn't even funny!

"I am surrounded by idiots," I mutter.

"You say that like you're not," a voice says behind me and I groan.

"What do you want, blondie?" I ask, turning around.

She smirks at me. "I was wondering if you enjoyed your bath…you never really answered that."

I stand up as does Jellal and Gajeel. Gray continues to eat his food, ignorant as always.

"You know, Lucy, I really do wonder why you like that soda."

We glare at each other until she finally walks away and I sit down.

Gray looks up. "I'm still all for supporting Lucy, you know."

I punch him in the face and stalk off. Gray laughs at me and I groan.

I don't know where I'm going, but my feet lead me to the library. I settle down on a bean bag in the back of the library and pick out a random book and start reading it. A few minutes later, the door swings open and I peak over my book to see its Lucy and Erza. I wrap my scarf around my salmon hair quickly so they won't spot it and recognize. I swear my hair is fluorescent or something when I don't want to be seen. My scarf-turban thing covers my hair as I bury my nose in my book, making sure it covers my face.

Lucy and Erza straggle near me, whispering to each other. Luckily for me, I have _excellent_ hearing, if I do say so myself.

"_So what do you plan on doing next?_" Erza whispers to Lucy.

"_Hmm…can you help me with the next prank?_"

"_Sure, just tell me what to do.__" _Erza is staring intently at Lucy.

"_Okay,_" Lucy whispers back, "_you distract Natsu while I come behind him and pants him, okay?_"

Erza laughs. "_That's all I have to do to get two strawberry cakes? Count me in!_"

"_Don't tell anyone…someone might spill._"

"Oh, I won't," Erza beams, forgetting to whisper. The librarian shushes her and she turns red.

Lucy grins and she and Erza walk off together after Erza has finished retrieving the book she had to get. I roll my eyes. Pantsing me? Is that the best Lucy could come up with? Wow, talk about lame. I grin, realizing how I'm going to get Lucy back.

I put the random book back where it was and stand up, brushing non-existent dirt of my gray shorts and head to my Creative Writing class.

I place my scarf back to where it's supposed to be—on my neck—and pick up my materials from my locker.

I make it to class as the bell signaling the ending of lunch rings. I sit down in the back of the class next to the window. The view is stunning. Trees dot rolling hills and a little river flows into a gorge. I've always known that this was here, but I never really cared to take a second look.

"You're here early," a voice sounds. I whip my head to the front of the room and see Levy smiling at me.

"I could say the same about you."

She shrugs. "I'm teaching this class so you can't really say that."

My mouth drops open. "They _allow_ that!?"_  
_

"Apparently," she grins. Her eyes twinkle and I realize she's giving me that _I'm-going-to-do-something-that'll-make-you-hate-me_ look._  
_

"Levy..."

"Yeah?" she asks to innocently.

"What are you planning on doing?"

"Ohh, nothing. What makes you think that I'm going to do anything?"

"That look on your face does."

"What look? Who's face?" she asks, playing dumb.

"That look on your face."

"I'm just happy! It's the first day of senior year and I'm about to ruin everyone's life," she says as if its the most normal thing in the world. "At least, everyone who comes to this class."

My eyes widen. "Levy..."

Levy cackles demonically and I scowl at her and cross my arms. The warning bell rings and students start to file into the classroom one by one. When the "you-better-be-in-class-by-now" bell rings, everyone looks up at Levy.

"You should take a seat," someone says.

"Why is she just standing there?" someone else mutters.

"Hey guys, I'm going to be your teacher for Creative Writing!" Levy says magnanimously, "So remember, I'm not your friend in this class, I'm your teacher!"

I groan and people turn their heads to look at me, puzzled. "So…today's the first day and I've decided to jump right in! You're going to receive a year-long project today that you must turn in at the end of the year. The rules are simple. All you have to do is write a love story between yourself and the partner I am going to assign you."

Slowly, she starts writing the names of peoples partners on the board. I raise my head to see who she placed me and for some reason I'm not surprised.

"Natsu and Lucy"


	3. Hidden

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed! You're super amazing so thank you!**

**Oh and after note. I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for _entertainment purposes_ ONLY. I found out that one of my friends has been having suicidal thoughts for a long time now and if anyone out there is having these thoughts, I hope you know that you can reach out to anyone and we'll be there for you. Confide in someone, anyone, please.**

**You're not alone.**

* * *

When I reach home, the first thing I do is flop down on the couch and press my hand against my face and sigh. I stare at the pictures covering the walls.

My favorite one hangs across from me, a man with red hair beaming at the camera while a boy with salmon hair and a white scarf around his neck frowns at it, arms crossed.

I remember that day clearly and maybe I like that picture best because it's the last one I got to take with him.

_*Flashback*_

_"Oh, c'mon Natsu! You don't _hate_ me!"_

_"Yeah, I do!" I yelled back._

_Dad laughed, "Right, what was your dumb reasoning for that?"_

_"That! What you just said is exactly why I hate you!"_

_"What, that you're stupid?"_

_"Yes!"_

_"Well it's true, isn't it?"  
_

_"Shut up!" _

_Dad snickered and I glared at him. "One picture isn't going to kill you!" _

_"Pssh, so what!?" _

_"Just take one!"_

_"Why should I?"_

_Dad smiled sadly. "You never know when you'll be taking the last picture."_

And the next day when I woke, he was gone.

Tears well up in my eyes but I push them away. My father has been missing for four years now. I've been living by myself for four years.

I hug my knees. Most days I don't think about it, but sometimes I succumb to the pain and numbness of having nobody. My friends have no idea, my teachers have no idea, and I have nobody. People say to trust your friends but all they would do is look at me like I am an abandoned, stray puppy. I'm not and I don't want them to change the way they interacted with me just because of my past.

A picture of my mother hangs next to the one of me and my dad. Her smile could light up a whole room, I'm told. I believe it. Benevolent, big, innocent eyes stare back at me and I smile slightly. Her waist-length white hair, genetic apparently, hangs in curls behind her and I close my eyes. Just once I'd've liked to meet the person I call mom.

She died when I was born. It makes me feel like a murderer. Sometimes I've wondered, _why me?_ but it's no use. It's like stumbling through the darkness. When I trip and have no purpose, no motivation to get back up, I have to pick myself up anyway and move on or the world is going to leave me behind.

And I'm afraid I'll never find my way back.

* * *

The alarm rings and I moan and run my hand through my pink spikes and yawn. I glance at my digital clock and it reads _12:50 AM._

Good, I won't be late.

I slowly dress into my work uniform and place a messenger bag with my street clothes and school supplies in it over my shoulder. I close my apartment door at approximately 1:00. I walk down the stairs and stretch at the bottom. I shove my hands into my pockets and start to walk. My work place, which is about 10 miles away, takes me two hours to get to. The public bus doesn't run from the hours 12-5. You don't have to pay a fare for public buses and the ones that run all night charge you a 100 J fee. I don't really want to waste money when I can just walk…plus I seriously suffer from motion-sickness...

I settle into a jog and walk when I get a little out of breath. My boss works me hard and I don't like to be tired when I get there. The walk is long but I don't mind. I like to look at the city as it sleeps. The quiet slumber of the place is peaceful with only the stars and I witnessing the beauty.

The city at night is my secret hideout. It's where I can just be myself and just be _free. _People think they're free but they don't know true freedom until there are no rules to break, no river you can't cross, no mountain you can't move.

That's what I feel as I witness Magnolia snore with my own eyes. As I witness the insects move of their own accord instead of getting swatted every few seconds. I stop and watch the fireflies. They're like stars on the ground, fallen stars trying to get back up, they're just not strong enough.

The lightning bugs wink at me and I smile and move on. Sometimes I feel like the insects, getting pushed around, trying to assert myself only to be smushed.

A yellow butterfly crosses my path and I look at it, startled and then laugh. "What are you doing up, little buddy? Going to your job?"

I smile sadly at my own joke and continue to walk. I don't really feel bad for my predicament… My day goes like this: _  
_

8:00 AM; school

3:00 PM; school ends

3:30 PM; reach home and start homework (if there is any)

4:30 PM; finish homework

4:40 PM; have a bath then go sleep

12:50 AM; wake up and head off to work

3:00 AM; reach and start work

6:00 AM; leave work

8:00 AM; school

I'm just glad I _have_ a home and I don't have to live in a shelter. It's not so much there's something wrong with living in a shelter, but if I can support myself, I don't see why I need to take up space when someone else can live there.

I accidentally kick a rock and stare at it before picking it up and smiling at it. I pet it and say, "I'm really sorry little guy, I didn't see you there."

I can feel the insects calling me a weirdo and I set the rock down and stare at it a little. I decide to walk on before it starts answering me.

I know insects might think I'm weird for talking to a rock but you never know. It could be strong on the outside but when people push it around, it breaks more and more on the inside.

Just like me.

I stop outside 4130 Canal Dr., Magnolia. Heartfilia Hospital.

I go in through the employee entrance and sit down on the bench near the entrance. "Hey Natsu!" a cheerful voice calls.

I smile. "How are you, Rin-San?" I call back.

"I'm good!" she smiles and waves as she pushes open the door into the main hallways of the hospital.

I sigh and get up, making my way to the elevator. I stand there as the door closes and push the highest numbered button. As the elevator rises to the 3rd floor, I lean my head against the back of the elevator.

It's hard…working for Jude Heartfilia. I'm just glad Lucy doesn't know I'm his personal servant from 3-6 AM. The rich snob would probably just tease me for the rest of eternity. For some reason, Mr. Hearfilia doesn't like working at normal hours. If I had to guess, I'd say it was because his wife was dead and he didn't want to work the hours he used to, when he got the call that she was raped and murdered.

The elevator dings open and I slowly walk down the hallway to the last door that awaits me. I inhale and knock on the door.

"Come in," an unpleasant voice to my ears says. The first time I heard it, I thought it sounded slightly demanding with a hint of insecurity behind it, so little, I was sure I had made it up.

The voice has changed over time for me. No longer slightly pleasant, it makes me want to throw up whenever I hear it.

I open the door and bow deeply to him. He nods at me and I straighten up and close the door behind me. "Is there anything I can get you, sir?"

Mr. Heartfilia blinks at me and then grimaces. "Get me some coffee, boy. And do it quickly, you're so inefficient it's no wonder your dad abandoned you."

I grit my teeth and bow again. "Yes, sir."

I get out of the room and lean against the door before standing up and hurrying to the coffee room. I would have quit this job by now had it not been for the fact that Jude Heartfilia was the only one who would hire me. Everyone else slammed their doors on me. They didn't want to take someone as young as 13 for a job at that time. And Mr. Heartfilia pays generously but it's probably nothing to him, not a nice gesture like I thought it was in the beginning. I keep coming here 5 days a week because I can't make someone who needs a place at the shelter live on the streets because I am taking up the one room they need. So I keep going, ignoring the words he speaks that have me thinking of suicide.

I never suicide because of my parents. I want their family to go on even if they aren't going to ever see it.

I tap my fingers on the table as the coffee brews, finally spilling into the cup. Once the coffee has stopped pouring, I hurry back up to Heartfilia's office, making sure not to burn my fingers by spilling the coffee.

I knock on his door and he says, "Come in," again. I open the door to see Mr. Heartfilia glaring at me. "That took two minutes boy. You better be faster next time."

My jaw drops open and I immediately close it. He just wants a reason to yell at me. Two minutes is nothing, it's hardly a wait. I would love it if everything only took two minutes. I would thank someone every time they waited hand and foot on me instead of treating them like an annoying fly that was pestering me!

"Well?" he asks sharply, staring at me. My eyes widen.

"I'm sorry, sir. I will do better next time, I promise. _Sir__._" I add hastily at the end.

He nods and continues his work. "What are you standing there, looking at me like that for?" he asks angrily after a while.

"I stand here to serve you, sir. Your wish is my command," I manage to say without sticking my finger down my throat and gagging.

He grimaces at me but doesn't say anything. Apparently he is content with my answer. It is a rare event and I manage not to slump in relief. The first thing he said (aside from "Come in") when I was sent to his office was, "I can tell you'll be no good. You're slumping."

"Take these to the mail room and put them in the right box," he says, pushing a huge pile of papers into my arms making me stumble backwards. I somehow manage to open the door without dying and I close it behind me. I stumble into the open doors of the elevators and press the button labeled 1 with my shoe. I wait for 30 seconds and then the elevator dings and opens. I manage to make it to the mail room and place the stack of papers down. There must be at least a thousand papers to be mailed here.

I pick up the first 100 sheets and slowly put them into the right boxes. It's like he _wants _to make my life as difficult as it can possibly be… But then again, he probably does… The sheets are upside down or backwards most of the time and when I flip it and get a few papers in, the papers are again upside down and/or backwards. The names are hard to find as there are no "To: Blanks". It's more, "As you are the manager of the lobby…" and I have to figure out who the manager of the lobby is.

I sigh in defeat. Jude Heartfilia and his daughter hate my guts, it's as simple as that. After about an hour, I finish putting each paper in what I'm pretty sure is its proper mailboxs before staggering back upstairs. I glance at my watch as I knock on Heartfilia's door. I only have about an hour and a half left of pure torture, thank Mavis.

"Come in," the voice says again. I march in and close the door behind me.

Mr. Heartfilia nods at me without actually looking at me.

"Can I ask you something, boy?"

"Yes, Mr. Heartfilia." _No, I don't want you to ask anything! _Is what I mean to say, but I don't.

"What is it like to kill your own mother?"

I'm plagued by horror at the question. "What?" I murmur quietly.

"I just wanted to know, that's all."

"I-I don't know because I've never killed anyone, much less my mother," my distressed voice says, starting to rise in volume.

"Shut up, boy. Don't dare raise your voice at me."

I open my mouth and then clamp it shut, a demon inside me roaring with anger, straining against its chains of need. But I don't let the demon free.

"Get me more coffee." I turn away and slam the door on my way out, immediately regretting that decision. I will most definitely get yelled at. I make my way to the second floor and fill a cup of coffee for him. Still boiling mad at the man's nerve, I decide to do something I'd usually never dare to even think of.

I spit into his cup.

The man has been using my background to degrade me for too long and the one moment of sweet revenge makes my spirits rise within me. I will and can survive hell for tonight.

I take the stairs back up to stall a little. I knock on the door and after hearing approval to come in, I open the door and set the coffee onto his table. He snarls at me, "Four minutes, Dragneel."

"I'm very sorry, sir."

He glares at me and takes a sip of the coffee and I inwardly do a victory dance. Oh, revenge is sweet!

But suddenly I feel depressed. _Why'd you do that? _I ask myself. _He took you in for a job when no one else would. He can say anything he wants and you shouldn't let it affect you._ I scold myself.

_You should just suicide_.

_No, I can't do that! What about mom and dad?_

_So what about them? This is your life and so far it sucks!  
_

_It's not an ending unless it's happy! _

_Oh, right. Want to tell that to murder and rape victims?_ I ask myself sardonically. I can almost see the devil and angel on my shoulder, arguing.

I sigh inwardly, wondering how I've ever survived these nights. I can assure you that the doubt always comes back. Everyday since I've started working for Heartfilia Hospital, I've wondered how I survived.

I wait for him to speak to me again but he doesn't. He ignores me until 6:00.

"Sir, I have to leave now. I will be late to school otherwise."

Mr. Heartfilia looks at me and nods and I leave but not before saying, "Thank you, sir."

I head to the bathroom and change into my street clothes. A sleeveless black cloth jacket over a red muscle tee and two pairs of khaki short and my signature scarf. (A/N: You'll see why he wears two shorts in the next chapter ;)

I head out of the bathroom and smile. The city is just waking up, the orange sun rising gloriously from the horizon. My hands find their way into the pockets of my jacket and I start walking the way I came. The walk is cheerful, the few early birds waving at me as I beam and wave back.

Birds sing songs, chorusing together and then breaking into their own songs making the final product leaving me smiling as it bounces around the trees.

Nature whistles in the slight breeze, harmonizing with the singing birds. The clatter of people waking, birds singing, animals waking, and Nature playing her flute has me singing along. Instead of focusing on the small details, when we focus on the big picture, things can be so much more beautiful.

It's time like these that I steal small pockets of happiness, storing something special in my memory forever.

* * *

**Sorry, I know, boring…well…I just wanted to show you guys what Natsu is _really_ like…at least in this story. I'm not sure if I'm making him a little too OOC but honestly, I don't care since this is an AU ˆ˘ˆ I want to show you guys that he isn't actually the person he seems in school. He isn't cocky or proud or ignorant, he's humble and grateful and notices the little things that make life bright. **

**Savana, if you're reading this, can you please put a review? Thanks :) **

**Actually that goes for all of you…can you put a review please? Please? Thanks! °˘°**


	4. Treaty

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed! You're super amazing so thank you! (P.S., Guest, yes, this is a NaLu fanfic :****)**

**Oh and after note. I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for _entertainment purposes_ ONLY. **

**Sorry for not updating to quickly... This is a pretty crappy chapter but I did my best considering I haven't slept and was on a 18 hour trip across the world...**

* * *

I reach Fairy Tail High School at 7:52 and rest my hands on my knees.

"'Ey, no one wants to see your butt Natsu so stop sticking it out."

I growl and replace the real me with my school persona. "Shut it, Heartfilia."

Lucy has no idea that I work for her dad. She has no idea that he makes me want to die. She has no idea that he's just about the worst person in the world.

She has no idea that I'm not the person she thinks I am.

These are all reasons I hate her. I know it's wrong for me to hate her because of her dad but the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?

Lucy rolls her eyes. "I can't believe Levy put us together for Creative Writing."

"I can."

"And why's that?"

"Because that's what Levy's like. I thought you were her best friend, you should know this. I'm sorry, I was her friend for longer until you dragged her away."

Lucy's hateful glare lands on me. "I didn't drag her away. She chose me over you."

"Ouch. That's not true. I don't understand why you had to try to cut off her ties with Gajeel, Gray, Juvia, Erza, and me. What's your problem?"

"You," she mutters under her breath. I look at her, disgusted.

"I've never understood why you hate me. What did I ever do to you?"

She looks down to try to hide the emotions flicking through her eyes but I'm pretty sure I see sadness before she turns away. "I don't hate you Natsu. I never have and I hope you don't hate me," she says, so quietly I'm afraid I've imagined it. Lucy turns around, never meeting my eyes and rushes into the school.

"Wait! Lucy!" I yell after her. She doesn't turn around.

Now I'm utterly confused. If she doesn't hate me and yet I'm her problem, I want to know _why._

And then I realize that I'm not the only one pretending to be someone they're not.

I sigh. "Hey, what's up with you?"

"Oh. Hey Jellal."

"Well?" he asks, raising an azure eyebrow.

I shrug. "Nothing. Lucy's just acting weird, that's all."

"You care for her, don't you."

My eyes widen at his implication. "What? N-no! Of course not!"

He stares at me, reading me and I flinch.

He brushes past me and into the school.

The bell rings and I realize I should probably go inside instead of standing out here like an idiot for the rest of the day. I make my way up the stairs and open the door.

As I walk to History, my first period, weight crashes down on my shoulders. I am truly alone in this world. I have no one to reach out to. No one who knows who I really am. I always knew this but the isolation and longing for a shoulder to lean on finally reaches me. No one will ever know me. No one will know the Natsu that will smile at anyone, that can forgive anyone, that can take anything except this loneliness. No one will remember me when I die, they will not remember the real me. They will mourn for the snobby Natsu that turns his back on people and laughs at people and causes trouble everywhere he goes.

I don't know why now, but suddenly I have a profound need to leave a mark on this world, to have someone that will know me. Anyone. Anyone will do. I just need _someone_.

The warning bell rings and I walk into the class, turning on the switch. I cannot let these doubts get to me or they will eat me from the inside until there is nothing left of me.

Sometimes I wonder if that really _is_ a bad thing.

I sit down in my seat and lean back.

"Yo," Gajeel mutters in my ear and I turn to him.

"'Sup?" I whisper back.

"Gajeel, Natsu, don't you dare continue that conversation," Ur-sensei says and I swallow. She scares me sometimes but sometimes she can be really nice.

We both nod and Ur-sensei continues with her lecture. Gajeel starts to drift off into sleep and I snap my fingers in front of his face. It's only the second day of school and he's already out of it. He jolts up and then glares at me. I wink at him and he narrows his eyes.

Ur-sensei goes on and I continue to take notes in my notebook. I try to keep my grades up because…well, if I let them drop I'm afraid the school will try to schedule a meeting with my dead/missing parents. Luckily, the school doesn't know about my parents. They never really bothered to check into it because there are so many students in Fairy Tail High.

I'm glad. They'd try to intervene with the way I'm living if that happened and I'm perfectly happy with the way I'm living…okay, well maybe not happy, but I'm glad for what I have. Plus I just really hate change even if it's for the better...

I lose myself in my thoughts and my pencil drops from my hand onto the floor, the noise making everyone look at me. I don't notice and suddenly my hands start to shake. I look at them and stand up. No, this can't be happening. Not now.

Ur-sensei looks at me. "Is there something you need?" she asks impatiently.

"Bathroom," I heave and then tear out of the classroom.

I make it out just in time as sobs rack through me and rip out of my mouth. I run to the nearest exit and throw myself outside and I bury myself in sorrow. I don't know why this happens, it just does. It started after my dad went missing. Randomly I'd start to cry. It's embarrassing but it's necessary. I bottle up my feelings and when there are too many to contain, the bottle explodes and I end up curling up into a ball and crying. I guess I've been overexerting myself.

You can't really blame me. The anniversary is coming up.

_Ok Natsu. Five more seconds of weakness and then you're going to get up and walk away like nothing happened._

_Five..._ I think of my dad's smile.

_Four..._ I think of the mother I've never known.

_Three..._ I think of the children my dad always wanted but never got. Because of me.

_Two..._ I close my eyes.

_One. _I stand up

It's not like me to lose it in school. Most of the time I become the school Natsu and I am him. I embody every thing he is, I think exactly like him, I don't think of my other life at all.

But today I've lost it and it will _never_ happen again. I assure it. I close my eyes and transform mentally. Steel attaches itself to my heart and my brain switches from vulnerable to mischievous.

I open the door and swagger into the school and back into the class.

"Nice of you to join us," Ur-sensei says, looking at me curiously. A few classmates snicker at me but I ignore them. I take my seat to see Gajeel passed out next to me. I raise my eyebrows but don't bother to wake him. The rest of the class goes on, my thoughts consumed by how I'm going to prank Lucy next.

In cursive (so she doesn't recognize my hand writing) I write "I love you Lucy. Your intense brown eyes are beautiful in every way and I just want you to know you have a secret admirer." I snicker. I know she has a boyfriend but I also know she doesn't like him. I don't know _why_ she got together with him. I think it's just because he's the school jock and she's the cheerleader. Cliché, you know?

I manage to get out of class early by telling Ur-sensei I feel like throwing up. Those are the magic words. She shoos me out of the class and I slip into the hallway. I find Lucy's locker and slip it through the slit thing at the top. I'm sure she'll find it. She can't miss it…it's on a neon yellow index card.

I grin and head back to my locker and open it. I put my bag in it and pick up the books I'll need for my next class. I close the door and lean against it. It's warm with two pairs of shorts but it's necessary.

The bell rings again and slowly students file out of class. I casually glance over at Lucy's locker. She opens it and is about to shove her books in when she notices the card. She warily grabs it and reads it. I watch as her face turns red and she gets a goofy look on her face. I snicker. Revenggggeeee. I got her good. All I have to do now is keep this up and one day get Levy to tell her who it really is. It'll crush her!

"Oi, Natsu." I turn around to see Erza grinning at me. I guess it's time then.

"Hey Erza," I say as nonchalantly as I can. Normally I'd probably beg for her not to hurt me. That's probably why she's staring at me strangely.

"Do you want to see me sing?"

Now it's my turn to give her a strange look. _This_ is how she plans to stall me!?

"Um..."

"First I must warm up. Oo a ah oo ay oo oh ee oo."

I cringe at her warm up while people form a crowd and start laughing hysterically.

Suddenly, my first pair of shorts comes flying down and I look behind me.

"Wow Lucy, I'd never thought you'd be the type to want to see me in my boxers." I step out of the shorts around my ankles. "You'll have to try harder to get me in bed with you."

Lucy turns a bright red and the hallway roars with laughter. "Here, you can have this," I say, signing the shorts with a flourish and handing it to her. She groans.

"Who told you?"

"I have my ways," I wink. She shoves the shorts into my arms and stalks away.

The rest of the day goes on pretty uneventfully until Creative Writing.

"I don't want to work with that dick!" a familiar voice yells just as I'm about to walk in. I stand still. I might as well hear this.

"Well, you're going to have to. I assigned you to him. I'm not your best friend at the moment, I'm your teacher. You know this means a lot to me! If most of the class does well, I get to get into the college I've always dreamed of for _free_!"

"That's great and all, but why'd you have to pair me with _Natsu _for Mavis's sake!?" Lucy shrieks.

"Stop it, Lucy. I had my reasons and as your teacher, I'm not going to tell you."

"Then tell me as your best friend," Lucy whispers pleadingly.

"No. I know that you've had a tough past with him but I don't think he knows about that. You said yourself he was intoxicated."

"But what if he's not just like that in a drunken stupor? What if he's like that whenever he feels like it?"

"I know Natsu. He wouldn't harm a fly on purpose."

Lucy sighs. "If you say so..."

I choose that moment to walk into the classroom.

"Hey Levy, Lucy," I smile cheerfully.

I take a seat in the place I sat yesterday and stare out the window, ignoring Lucy and Levy.

"Hey Natsu," a boy with green hair waves and I smile back at him. "I saw what you did today to Lucy, that was awesome," he laughs. I shrug and he turns back to the person he was talking to.

"I sure as hell didn't think it was awesome," someone mutters, plopping down next to me. I look over at Lucy.

"What are you doing...?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean why are you sitting next to me?"

"Levy."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Lucy mutters, glaring daggers at me.

"Can we call a truce?" I blurt out.

Lucy raises her eyebrows at me.

"I mean, I really like Creative Writing and I don't want to ruin it because we don't get along. So how about we call a truce whenever we're working on our novel."

Lucy shrugs. "Yeah, I guess that'll work."

I smile. Good, we've come to an understanding.

* * *

**And so NaLu begins :D Next chapter there might be some fluffiness but idk :P**


	5. The River

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and/or read! I love you! Have a cookie :D**

**Oh and after note. I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for _entertainment purposes_ ONLY.**

**I'm sorry! This chapter is soooo late D: I'm ****sorry! Don't kill me. *Runs away screaming***

**On another note, my braces hurt so much I can't chew. Yay. *twitch***

* * *

"Natsu!"

I stop. Why would _she_ be calling out to me of all people?

"Sup, Lucy?" I ask, turning around.

She's running to catch up with me, her hair whipping in the wind.

She huffs when she finally reaches me. "Listen, we need a summary of our story tomorrow... I don't know if I'll be in school tomorrow."

"Okay." I look at her strangely. What is she getting at?

"Can we meet up sometime today?"

_No, that'll mess up my schedule._ "Sure, how about now?" I hear myself say and give myself a mental facepalm. What am I doing!?

"Cool. I don't really want to meet at my house..." _Good, neither do I._ "I loathe that place." I raise my eyebrows at that.

"How about at the coffee shop close by?" I refuse to take her to my house.

"Sure."

We walk in silence as rain starts to pour heavily out of no where. "Dammit!" she yells. "My hair!"

I laugh. "You're one of those girls, are you?"

She stares at me. "You're a prissy type of girl," I explain with a smirk.

She glares at me and then picks up a bit of mud and throws it at me. It lands on my cheek and she bursts out laughing. It's my turn to glare. I pick up mud and throw it at her and it lands in her hair. This has me snickering. "I think that's more of a reason to cry about your hair."

"I WAS NOT CRYING!" she yells and I feel mud splatter onto me again.

"That's it, Heartfilia! No more Mr. Niceguy!" She chuckles at that.

"You never were Mr. Niceguy!"

I grab more brown muck and throw it at her.

Soon, we have a full fledged mud-fight going on and we're hooting with laughter. It's like we're best friends instead of worst enemies. As mud flies in all directions and passersby stop to glare at us, I realize this is the most fun I've had in a long time, and it's with the girl I hate. Finally we both realize that we have work to do.

I look down at my clothes. "I don't exactly think we can go to the coffee shop in this state..."

She sniggers. "Obviously not."

I give her a small smile. "I'll walk you home and we can talk about the plot on the way."

The rain is now a light fog. She walks close to the river, balancing on the edge. "You're going to fall in!" I warn her. I know she can't swim. Everyone in the school knows. The cheerleader that can't swim? Scandalous!

She waves it off. "I do this all the time."

"So, what do you want to do for the story?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "Honestly, I was thinking a school life sort of thing."

I nod. "Okay, sure."

Lucy smiles but I can barely see it through the slowly thickening fog even though she is only a few feet away from me.

"We can make it based off our own life..." she says softly.

I look at her in disbelief. "W-what do you mean...?"

I can't see her anymore. "Never mind," she whispers. And then she screams. A splash cuts through the fog and I realize what's happened.

Without a second thought I jump into the river. "Lucy!" I cry out.

No response. "LUCY!" I yell again, this time louder.

Again, nothing. _Please, please, please, please let this be another one of her pranks!_

I can't see anything in this damn fog, much less Lucy. I dive underneath the surface of the river, but it's not as clear as it once was. Now, it's brown waters make it hard to see. A Mountain Dew can hits me in the head and then speeds away. I resurface. It's been a minute and I don't know how long Lucy will be able to survive down there.

And then I feel a something grab my leg and pull on it. I struggle against it and it's grip loosens. I kick it and it slips away.

Realization hits me like a lightning bolt. That was _Lucy_. I dive under and see a blob floating away, unconscious. I grab it and pull it up to the surface. The mist finally clears and if this wasn't so traumatic, I would laugh at how the world hates me. I drag her to the bank of the river and she starts to cough. Water gushes from her mouth. I pump at her chest, her survival the only thing on my mind. "C'mon! C'mon!" I mutter.

Water stops gushing and she lays still. Maybe she needs…mouth to mouth CPR… I lean in. I close my eyes. I've never kissed someone before… I stop a centimeter from her mouth. My lips tingle with the certainty of whats coming and just being so close to her. And then I hear, "_Natsu._"_  
_

I jump back, realizing just how weird that must've looked. My eyes widen. My palms between her breasts and looking like I was about to kiss her might give off the wrong impression...

I gulp. "Um…hi…Lucy…"

"You pervert! What were you doing!?" Her voice is raw and she winces at every word. "Trying to take advantage of my unconsciousness and kiss me!?"

"Wow. You're welcome. I was just trying to save your life." I roll my eyes.

To my great surprise, she just nods. Then, to my greater surprise, she stretches her hands out and whispers, "I'm so cold."

I look at her hands and then look at her. Finally, I sigh. I mutter under my breath, "You already saved her life. What do you have to lose?"

_Your pride._

I ignore the nagging voice in my head and take her into my arms. She places her hands against my chest and presses herself into me, not caring how _weird _this looks. She shivers, "You're so _hot__. _It's not human!"

I smirk. "You're just realizing? It didn't take the other girls in the school half as long as you."

I can practically feel her roll her eyes. "Idiot," she mutters.

"Ha! Look who's talking!"

"Okay," she peers up at me and I scoff. As I stare into her captivating brown eyes, my heart starts to pound a little faster. I push her away, reminding myself that she's the daughter of the monster that's been running and ruining my life.

She looks at me sadly, her blue lips trembling. "I'm still cold!" she complains.

"Too bad. But I wouldn't mind warming your lips," I tease.

She gasps, "So you _were_ trying to kiss me!?"

"Like I'd choose you over someone like Lisanna."

She rolls her eyes and huffs. I grin.

"Good. It's nice to know you aren't _really_ hitting on my girlfriend." Lucy and I turn our heads sharply and look towards the source of the voice.

I stand. "_Sting_." I narrow my eyes. Sting's from Sabertooth High, our rival school. He and I…let's just say we're not on the best terms. Especially since his school has trashed mine in basketball for seven years in a row and I'm the star player on the Fairies and he's the star player on the Sabertooths. But Lucy hates him, too.

He grabs her roughly by the arm and pulls her up and she shrieks. "Stop it, Sting! That hurts!" she complains, but he does nothing.

"She said it hurts," I glare daggers at him.

He stares at me. "I heard her."

"Then get off her," I yell and shove him. He stumbles and let's go of Lucy.

"Oh, you'll pay for that."

"Haha, right. You're so weak a—" I don't get to finish my insult. A punch in the mouth cuts off my desire to speak. I land on my butt and give off a small, "Oof!"

I stand up and brush off the dirt and then spit blood in his face. It lands on his cheek and he looks mortified. His wide eyes narrow and animosity colors them. He elbows me in the eye and I knee him in the stomach. We both separate, panting. _That'll leave a mark! _I think. I hold my eye as it starts to swell. I don't see Sting as he grabs me from behind and slams me into the ground. Blood spurts from my cheek as he puts his knee on my head and holds my arms.

I manage to wiggle around and I slam my fist in his already wounded gut. He gasps and holds it. I use this distraction to stand up and kick him in the face. He falls to the ground and I swing again. But this time he's ready. He grabs my leg and pulls on it. My other leg flies out from underneath me and I fall to the ground again.

All the breath whooshes out of me and I can't breathe. I'm trying to remember how when Sting punches my bloody cheek. He comes again and I roll out of the way, finally remembering the simple motion of in and out. I kneel on one knee and face him. He jumps and I roll again. When he lands, I pounce on top of him and get him in a head lock and let him thrash a little before shoving him into the river.

"Have a nice swim, Eucliffe!" I yell at him.

"Natsu!" Lucy shouts and I turn to her.

"What?" Frankly, I forgot she was there. She didn't really do anything in the whole fight.

She looks really angry which freaks me out. I throw my hands up. "DON'T KILL ME!"

She sighs and then a small smile appears on her lips. She starts to laugh breathlessly and I stare at her. And as suddenly as it started, it stops. "Oh, Natsu! Your eye!"

I realize my eye is swelled shut and I have cuts all over my body. I sag slightly and sway. "I'm okay," I mutter.

She shakes her head. "No your not. I'll be back soon. I'll go home and get one of my maids to drive us to my dad's hospit—"

"NO!" I say too quickly. "I'm fine! Really!"

She stares at me and then sighs. "Boys. Fine, go. I have to wait for my damn boyfriend anyway."

"Why do you date him?"

"You wouldn't understand."

The look on her face tells me that's the end of that conversation.

* * *

**Sorry, I know it's short. I'm sorry. I really am! I'd promise that the next chapter'll come out sooner, but I can't. *Winces* School….**

**Please review! This wasn't one of my best chapters but leave a review! :) **


	6. The Picture

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and/or read! I love you so much I'll hug your face! C'mere! Wait! No! Stop running away! **

**I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for _entertainment purposes_ ONLY.**

**We the Kings: Just Keep Breathing**

**I'm thinking of making a new part every Saturday… Yeah, I think I'll do that ;) This chapter is here quite early as an apology for keeping you guys waiting for so long on the last chapter :) **

**(Oh, Lisanna and Natsu are _not_ dating. Just wanted to clarify ;) **

* * *

I want to go sleep.

But I can't.

Dang it! I hate homework. I knew talking with Lucy would mess up my perfectly planned schedule!

I poke the sheet. "I hate you, Calculus."

Thankfully, it doesn't respond. If only I had that calculator my dad bought for me when he was still alive. But nooooo. I had to go and lose it!

I roll off the couch and move to the mess in my closet. "Come on, I know you're in here!" I shuffle things around and a CD falls out. "Oh no."

An avalanche of junk falls on top of me and I'm buried alive. A few minutes later, I manage to push enough things off so I can see my living room. I sit up and see a black mass sitting on my legs. It's my guitar. The one my dad gave me on my 12th birthday. I stare at it, uncomprehendingly.

I pick it up and unzip it's case. He got it big so I could use it when I was older. I smile wryly. Always thinking of the future, that man.

I blow the dust off the dust on the ancient thing and get up and sit on the couch. I fit it in my arms and it fits perfectly.

_Flashback:_

_"Dad!" I cried out._

_"What, kiddo?"_

_"I told you I wanted a baseball mitt, not some crummy guitar! I don't even know how to play!"_

_"But you will." He winked at me. He always knew what to do. He always knew how to make me do what he wanted. That wink made me feel so special I groaned and I gave in._

_"Fine, but next year you have to promise to get me a baseball mitt!"_

_He rolled his eyes. "Okay, fine!"_

_I smiled and grabbed the guitar.  
_

I strummed a few notes. I had forgot about this beauty. Tears pricked in my eyes. Tomorrow. Tomorrow was his "death" anniversary.

This guitar used to be my "feeling contraption." I used to play my heart out in songs and I would feel better. And then I stopped playing it for…for binge drinking. I'm not proud of it, but it felt like the only way to get over pain.

My dad's favorite song comes to my head and I can't help but play it. "This is for you...dad."

_When heaven seems so far away_  
_And dreams are just a memory_  
_Without the dark the light won't show_  
_Remember that you're not alone_

_When you watch the world just turn away_  
_And break the promises it made_  
_When love is all too hard to hold_  
_Just take a breath and let it go_

_Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_  
_Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

_Two A.M., too tired to sleep_  
_When what you want's not what you need_  
_And when these walls don't feel like home_  
_Remember that you're not alone_

_The beginning's just another end_  
_It's not too late to start again_  
_When hope is all too hard to hold_  
_Just take a breath and let it go_

_Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_  
_Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

_Ooh ooh..._

_When heaven seems so far away_  
_And dreams are just a memory_  
_When love is all too hard to hold_  
_Just take a breath and let it..._

_Go whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_  
_Whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh, whoa whoa oh_  
_Just keep breathing, breathing, breathing_

I strum the last note and let out a sigh.

_"Thank you, Natsu."_

"Dad?" I turn to my right and there he is, sitting on the couch, his legs propped up on the coffee table like he never left.

"_I loved it, kiddo. You gotta work on your singing though." _He grins and I laugh in disbelief.

"Like you were any better, old man."

"_I'm NOT old!_"

I laugh again. "Could've fooled me!"

_"I love you Natsu, and I'm right here. Keep singing. You might one day get better." _He winks and happiness fills me to the brim.

"DAD!" I yell as he starts to fade. "Don't go! I—"

He smiles sadly and then he's gone. He wasn't real. He was just a hallucination. "I love you too, Dad."

I break down, tears staining my cheeks. I never got to tell him I loved him. And I never will. I collapse on the ground, sleep finally coming.

* * *

"_Oh my Mavis, what happened to him?" _Whispers stream around me.

I turn on the girl who just whispered that to her friend. "If you want to know, why don't you just frikin ask me!?"

My black eye throbs painfully and I'm going to guess they've noticed the cut on my cheek and the scrapes around my body. The girl turns red and hides behind her friend.

"Yo, Natsu. Who cleaned the pavement with your face?" Gray asks.

"Why do you want to know, stripper?" I shoot back.

"I want to thank them for making you more attractive. Now I can actually bear looking at you without going blind from your ugliness."

I growl. "You implying something?"

"Yeah I'm implying something, you dumbass!" he yells.

Behind my stupid façade, I'm worried. Mr. Heartfilia wouldn't let me work yesterday because he said I "wasn't presentable. Thus you will not be working here until you can clean up your face. I will not be paying you, either."

How am I going to pay my rent? I can't! I sigh.

"What, got no come back?"

I stare at him. "Eucliffe did it."

Gasps of horror fill the hallway. "But don't worry guys, I pushed him in the river."

"It was quite impressive, actually." Heads turn to where Lucy stands with Levy. Levy's grinning as she makes her way to her locker.

"Hey Luce," I say quietly. She looks surprised at the nickname and I'm surprised, too.

"Hey Natsu." She walks to her locker and I watch her back.

Gray wolf-whistles. "Dang, you got the hots for her."

I raise my eyebrows. "Yeah, right. And you got the hots for Juvia."

"Juvia heard someone say her name," a bluenette says, appearing from the crowd. Her eyes land on Gray and his eyes widen. "Did someone say my darling Gray has the hots for me? Oh, I knew you loved me!"

"I'll get you yet, Natsu," Gray whispers and then makes a run for it.

I burst out laughing. I got him so good!

* * *

I walk through Magnolia, looking at the ads on the sides of the stores. None of them have caught my attention. They're not too interesting or in my skill area. I only have one in my hand that might be interesting and it's for giving guitar lessons to a kid named Romeo and his friend Wendy. But it was only 15,000 J a month, not quite enough for my apartment bill… I haven't had any luck for two days now and I am starting to get nervous. What if I never find anything?

_Get Big Bucks: __Business Opportunities For You!_

_Restaurant Singing at Eymho! 70,000 J a month!_

_Grass Cutting Every Week: 2,000 J._

I pause. Wait. Restaurant singing? Eymho? My dad used to work there! Well, as a hobby, he'd go restaurant singing sometimes. Plus the pay is 70,000 J which is exactly my rent! And with the Romeo and Wendy job, I would have enough to eat! I reach out for the Eymho job just as someone else does and my heart sinks.

"I'm sorry, you can go ahead and have it," I murmur, pushing it towards the other person.

"Oh, no, I don't need it!" I turn in surprise.

"Luce?"

"Oh, it's you. Well in that case," she laughs, "I'll take this then."

"Hey!"

She sticks out her tongue at me and starts running.

"Come back here!" I yell as I chase after her. _Why does she even need the job? _I ask myself. We run through the streets of Magnolia, weaving in and out of traffic while cars honk at us. We run for what seems like hours. I don't have work tonight so I don't have to worry about the time. That's nice. For a change, I can just have fun instead of sticking to my boring schedule. Finally, she starts to slow down. She's getting tired but she keeps running. I don't slow down.I'm in good shape because I have to walk so far every night.

"Getting tired?" I taunt.

She looks back at me and pants, "How are you not!?"

And then I see the looming figure in front of her. She's looking at me so she can't swerve to avoid it. My eyes widen and I do the only thing I can think of. I lunge forward and grab her around the waist. I pull her back and we stop short of the pole. Lucy stares at it in disbelief and then puts the flyer out in front of her.

"Too bad, you still won't get it!" she yells.

I scoff. "My arm is longer then yours!" I grab the paper but she refuses to let go. "Let go!" I order.

"Not in your wildest dreams!"

"Ha!" I yell as I finally manage to pry it out of her fingers.

"Woo!" Lucy and I turn to the voice as I forget my arm is still around her waist.

"Levy!?" we say together, incredulously.

She pulls out her phone and shows us a picture she took of me and Lucy while my hand was around her waist and she was holding the flyer up and I was reaching for it. It looked like we were any normal couple and she was pointing to something while I reached for her hand.

"OhmidearMavisyoucan'tsendthattoanyone!" Lucy says so fast, her words blur together while I take my hand off of her waist.

"Please don't Levy!" I insist.

"Fine! But only if you kiss!"

"WHAT!?" we yell and take steps away from each other.

"Levy…" Lucy says darkly as she takes a step towards her.

This cannot be happening. Is Levy trying to blackmail us!? I decide to play it cool. She can't _really_ be doing this.

"It can't be all that bad. It's not going to kill us."

"I will kill you if you dare try to kiss me."

She seems serious and knowing her, she'd do it.

"Levy, I have a boyfriend."

Levy snorts. "Sting is hardly boyfriend material. Plus you don't even like him. Must I remind you the only reason you got together was because of your father."

"LEVY MCGARDEN I WILL PUMMEL YOU INTO THIS VERY GROUND!"

Oh. So that's why she's dating Sting.

Levy covers her mouth. "Whoops."

"WHOOPS IS RIGHT!"

"Does this mean you won't send the picture?"

"Nope!" Levy yells and punches the send button.

"NOOO!" I shout and lunge at her at the same time Lucy does. We end up bonking heads and stumbling backwards.

"Who'd you send it to?" Lucy demands.

"This will ruin my social life," I groan.

"You don't have one!" Lucy yells at me.

"Ouch."

"I sent it to the entire student body!" Levy cackles gleefully and I moan and lean against the pole for support. The whole school. The whole school has seen that picture.

"This isn't like you Levy!" Lucy murmurs.

Levy shrugs and sticks her tongue out.

"Hey Levy," a gruff voice mutters, "I got your coffee." Gajeel steps out of the coffee shop and hands Levy a coffee while sipping his own. His phone dings.

"Don't pick it up, Gajeel!" I yell. He eyes me suspiciously and ignores me. He stares at the picture and then starts to laugh.

"Gray was right. You _do_ have the hots for Lucy!"

"NO I DON'T! SHE'S SO STUPID! YOU THINK I WOULD GO FOR SOMEONE LIKE HER!? SHE'S SO PRISSY AND FAKE AND DUMB!"

Someone sniffs beside me and my eyes widen. I forgot Lucy was standing right next to me. Levy and Gajeel are staring at me, shocked.

"It's nice to know how you feel about me."

"No, Lucy! It's not like that!"

She looks at me, tears filling her wide, innocent, beautiful eyes. I might have thought those things once but over these few days I got to spend with the real her, I really do like her for the person she is. She's nothing like her father.

"No," her voice catches in her throat. "I thought you were okay Natsu, I really did, but you obviously hold things that I'll never understand against me."

She turns and runs, tears splattering onto the side walk. "Lucy!" I call and start to run after her. We continue the chase and I stick the flyer in my pocket. This time we don't taunt each other. This time we run for something much more serious. She starts to slow down but doesn't give up on running. Finally, I manage to grab her wrist. She hits my hand repeatedly and struggles to get away from my grip.

I slam her against a wall so she can't escape. Finally, her struggles subdue but she refuses to look at me. "What do you want Natsu?"

"I didn't mean any of that stuff."

She scoffs. "Of course not."

"I didn't! Why don't you believe me?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because you blurted it out. Did you know people say what's really on their mind when they blurt things out?" she asks matter-of-factly.

"Right. But I don't feel that way. I was just saying those things because I hate when people try to pair me with others without letting fate weave it's way in. I hate how Levy's trying to play matchmaker at the moment."

"You think I don't? I have a boyfriend!"

"Ugh, about that…"

"Don't you dare start asking questions."

"Okay! Okay! I won't! But please, just pretend I didn't say any of the stuff I said. None of it was true, I promise."

She looks at me skeptically. "Fine. This one chance to prove yourself."

I laugh. "'Prove myself'? I don't need to prove myself to you!"

She grins. "Anyway, about people thinking we're together…"

"Well, the whole school thinks that…do you just want to play along with it?"

She looks a little shocked at first but then calms down. "Um…yeah, sure. I guess… I mean, it wouldn't kill us, would it? Rumors'll be going around anyway and frankly I've dealt with enough drama already to last a life time."

I sigh. "But you'll have to say you broke up with Sting…"

She shrugs. "That's the easiest part."

I smile smally. "We should go home now."

"Yeah, but first Natsu?"

"What?"

"Can you stop pinning me to the wall?"

* * *

**I hope you liked it! :) Leave a revoo :P **


	7. Igneel

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Fairy Tail. I would totally screw it up so let's be grateful ˚˘˚**

**Thank you everyone who reviewed, followed, favorited, and/or read! I love you so much! :D**

**I DO NOT THINK THAT SUICIDING WILL GET RID OF YOUR PROBLEMS. I DO NOT SUPPORT SUICIDING IN ANY WAY AND I DO NOT THINK YOU SHOULD THROW AWAY YOUR PRECIOUS LIFE IF SOMEONE WISH IT OFF. That was for_ entertainment purposes _only.**

**School is running my life. Sorry D: That is absolutely no excuse and I'm hating myself right now. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.**

**Lost Stars: Adam Levine (Gods I'm in love with this song)**

**(Dear Speedy60704 and everyone else,**

**Thank you for your continuous support of this story! If I didn't have you guys I'd probably be wallowing in self pity right now. Jk, :) But seriously guys, thank you so much :) I'm sorry that I pay you back with a late story D: )**

**Am I taking things too fast? I think I'm taking things too fast...**

* * *

My lips press against the crumbling gray stone and I close my eyes. I rest my head against the marked headstone that signals the permanence of my father's absence. I exhale and my breath frosts in the cold air.

I always knew the world was against me and yet it surprises me how the sun shines and the birds chirp and the world seems to hum at how beautiful a day it is. Why can't it rain? Why can't the world cry with me? Am I so unimportant that the one day I want something, it goes unheard? Ah, now I'm being selfish. I am truly grateful for everything I have.

"Hi Dad."

I sit back on my heels and hang my head. "I know you're out there," I whisper. "Come home. I miss you more than you know. I just want to tell you…" I shake my head. I refuse to say the words aloud. Those three words I will only say when I see his face full and healthy once more.

Wild flowers sway in the wind, red tinged with yellow. I smile sadly at that and I pick one and twirl it between my fingers. "You would've loved these you know," I chuckle humorlessly. I lean against the tombstone like it's the back of a chair. My mom sits—no, lays—next to me. I look over at her. "Dad always said you loved white clovers." I take a pinch of white clover seeds I bought and dig up the earth with my fingers before placing one in it and covering it with rock and soil again.

"There," I whisper, "Red and white. You'll make pink."

I wind my arms around my knees and pull them closer before resting my chin on my knees. I pull the flower around my wrist and tie the stem at the end, making a bracelet.

I'm aware I'm not whole today. My heart pounds uneven rhythms and I have a hard time breathing, like one of my lungs has collapsed.

"You'd probably chide me for skipping school. Sorry. Actually, I'm not really sorry. I wouldn't miss this for the world, dad."

I close my eyes and sit still. My breathing gradually slows and I stay as still as a statue. Softly, I start to sing to myself.

_Please don't see_  
_Just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies_  
_Please see me_  
_Reaching out for someone I can't see_

_Take my hand, let's see where we wake up tomorrow_  
_Best laid plans sometimes are just a one night stand_  
_I'll be damned, Cupid's demanding back his arrow_  
_So let's get drunk on our tears_

_And God, tell us the reason youth is wasted on the young_  
_It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run_  
_Searching for meaning—_

I'm aware I'm being watched and my head snaps up reflexively. Multiple birds have stopped singing and are staring at me. I laugh quietly. "I'm not a Disney princess. I promise." They seem to understand and start to sing again. Even though the birds are ignoring me, I still can't shake the feeling I'm being watched. I stand up and look around. Nothing. Nothing is watching me.

I'm just being paranoid and I know it. I close my eyes and exhale.

And then a twig snaps.

My eyes fly open. "I know you're there."

No response. I take a step closer to the forest. A cat streaks out of the forest and I watch it go. I kick myself for being an idiot and go back to my father's grave. I kneel next to it and slowly drift into inevitable sleep.

* * *

"Natsu! Natsu, wake up!"

I push the person away. "One more minute, dad. It's too early to wake up!"

"Idiot," the person mutters.

Wait. My dad's gone. My eyes snap open and I stare at the face over mine.

The girl rolls her eyes. "Finally."

"Lucy?" I ask groggily.

"Yeah, who else?" she growls.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was searching for you!"

"Why?"

She stares at me warily but doesn't answer. I sit up and realize it's dark and I'm drenched. It must've finally rained. While I was sleeping. My hair is heavy with what I realize is mud.

"What were you doing here?" she asks.

I glance at my father's tombstone and then flit my gaze away. She looks at the tombstone and her eyes widen. "Oh," she whispers.

"Yeah."

I'm just glad she can't see my mom's grave.

"So you live with your mom?"

"Sure," I lie easily.

"C'mon, we should go." She stands up and holds her hand up to help me up but I stand up on my own.

I stuff my hands in my pocket. It must be cold because Lucy shivers involuntarily and she hugs her arms. I unwrap my scarf and place it around her neck. She looks up at me in surprise. "N—"

I place my hand over her's as she moves to take it off. "It's fine. Just return it to me tomorrow."

"No, I'll walk you home and give it to you when we get there," she offers.

I shake my head. "I'll be fine."

"Natsu, you look like you'll fall over any second now."

"But I won't, so it's a moot point."

"If you collapse in the middle of the road and get run over by a car, I will _never _forgive myself."

I poke her cheek. "A week ago you couldn't have cared less. Plus, I can't let you walk home alone. There are weirdos out there, you know."

She sticks her tongue out. "A week ago you couldn't have cared less."

I grin. "Well now I do."

She pouts. "Okay, whatever. So…"

Words pop out of my mouth and I immediately want to suck them back in, but that's impossible.

"You can just sleep in my house."

Lucy's mouth pops open and she stares at me. I immediately mask my shock at myself with nonchalance. "Oh c'mon Luce, it won't be that bad!"

"Yeah it will," she whispers.

I make a face at her. "Fine, you come up with a different idea."

"I walk you home and then go home."

"Unless you want some guy to drag you off, that's not an option."

She scowls at me. "I already have some guy to drag me off."

I stare at her. "You mean me," I say in a flat voice.

"Who else?"

"I wouldn't joke about that."

"You were!"

"But that was different. I was genuinely concerned."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine, let's go to your house. I'm not in a rush to go to my house."

"Okay."

We start to walk as I play with the flower around my wrist.

"Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you have a flower around your wrist?"

I frown in the dark. "It reminded me of my dad…"

She doesn't say anything. I grab her hand and she looks at me, startled.

"Remember, you're my girlfriend now." I grin at her and she rolls her eyes.

"Don't remind me," she groans.

"What were the kids in school like?"

"Shocked. Actually, not really. Most predicted it."

I cringe. "Ew."

Lucy tears her hand from mine and huffs at my implication and I laugh.

"C'mon, Luce!"

"Don't call me that," she mutters.

I roll my eyes. "Anyway, I was thinking."

She stares at me and I stare back. "What?" I ask.

"You don't have a brain to think with. Try not to kill yourself in the process."

I stick my tongue out at her and continue. "You know, pretending to date will really help us with the book."

"It will, won't it? Sometimes I just don't know how describe things," she mutters sarcastically.

I grab her waist and shove her against the nearest wall. She gasps as I place my lips on her neck and kiss my way to her jaw and back down. I run my hands up her sides that are heaving. I grab her left leg and hitch it on my waist and then wrap her arms around my neck. She doesn't stop me. I touch the tip of my nose to her bare cheek and trace a path to her ear and back. I press my lips against the palm of her hand and whisper into it, "How would you describe this?"

She says nothing and runs her hand through my muddy hair and for some reason, butterflies take flight in my stomach. I pull away and she looks at me and then looks away before I can read her expression. I laugh and she turns to me, anger on her face.

"Damn player."

I chuckle. "Let's go."

She stalks through the streets and I follow closely behind her. I almost lost it there. What just happened?


End file.
